Improvement in wagon-bodies



L. J; FITZGERALD.

Wagon-Body.

No. 213.502. Patented Mar. 25, 1879.

WITNESSES INVENTOR My. ATTORN EY MFETERs, FHOTO-LYTNOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. p O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE J FITZGERALD, OF CORTLAND VILLAGE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,502, dated March 25, 1879; application filed August 30, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAWRENCE J. FITZ- GERALD, of Cortland Village, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Bodies; andI do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of side-spring wagons.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved wagon-body. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the body with one side piece removed, showing the connecting-rods and groove in side piece.

Heretofore the bodies of this class of wagons have been made with bent sills secured to the lower edge of the sides, to which the floor is fastened by nails or screws.

The object of my invention is to dispense with the necessity for sills and nail and screw fastenin gs, lessen the cost of manufacture, and at the same time secure a stronger and more durable wagon-body.

A represents the bottom or lower panel of the body, and B B the sides. Each of the side pieces, B B, is made of one solid piece, cut to the desired shape, and having an inside groove or channel near the lower edge, into which is matched the side edge of the panel A. The sides B B and bottom A being thus matched together, all are secured and firmly held in place by a suitable number of iron cross rods or ties, c a, passing through the sides of the body at or near the grooves a a, and usually secured by nuts, thus forming ties to secure the parts of the wagon-body together. The spring-bars b b, one upon each side of the body, are also secured to the sides B B by two or more of the cross-rods c c, passing also through the spring-bars 1), securing the same to the body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new manufacture, a wagon-body composed of two single side pieces constructed with grooves, and of a bottom piece, the edges of which are fitted in said grooves, the whole being clamped together by transverse rods, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a wagon-body, the combination of side pieces, B B, having grooves a a, with bottom panel, A, and cross-rods c 0, some of which pass through and secure side-spring bars I) b, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE J. FITZGERALD.

' Witnesses:

FITZ. BOYNTON, R. H. DUELL. 

